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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

7:00PMStudent Graduation Show $5
8:00PMComic Book Club $5
9:30PMWriters Room $5
11:00PMBRING IT! $5

7:00PM
$5
Student Graduation Show
Tonight, our brilliant PIT students take the stage. The legends of tomorrow show you that they're actually the stars of today.

Ali Farahnakian's Level 5 Improv class performs

8:00PM
$5
Comic Book Club
Iron your capes, unplug the Bat Signal and set your decoder rings on awesome: the Comic Book Club is in session! The Comic Book Club is a weekly comic book talk show featuring the best comedians in New York talking shop with industry professionals from all corners of the comic book world. Hosted by Justin Tyler, Pete LePage, and Alex Zalben. The show is sponsored in part by Midtown Comics!

Buy Tickets

9:30PM
$5
Writers Room
You ever wonder who makes them folks on the picture radio and computer web so funny? Writers. Mike Drucker (The Onion, SNL) and Jon Clarke (McSweeney's) host big important writers performing stand-up and sketch comedy.

Buy Tickets

11:00PM
$5
BRING IT!
Jay Welch hosts this stand up comedy open mic every Tuesday at 11pm. Sign up and you can be a part of the show! Each week, Jay and his special guests will be joined by 10 additional acts whose names will be drawn from the golden bowl of destiny. Win "joke of the night" and you are guaranteed a slot on the following Tuesday. This show is free for all audiences.

Level 3: Sketch Comedy Workshop

Instructor: Kevin Allison

In the class we:

  • View classic TV sketches and discuss what works and doesn’t
  • Learn how to use or break formulas for jokes and scene structure
  • Brainstorm, write, re-write, pitch and rehearse collaboratively
  • Create video sketches
  • Learn about sketch acting
  • Do improv-to-sketch exercises
  • Write, produce and perform a complete sketch show at the PIT

Students include working comedians and absolute beginners. We learn about adding dimension to the comic premise, developing beats of action, fleshing out comic characters and playing with end twists. In sessions, we maintain a supportive dynamic between students who collaborate to make one another’s material fresher and funnier, beat by beat. Check it out!

Become a Student at the PIT

The PIT offers unparalleled perks for students:

  • Practice Improv For Free
    The PIT is the only theater in town that gives students opportunities to practice improv in front of an audience several times a week. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in our "jams": Improdome (Wednesdays at 11pm), Bring It! (Tuesdays at 11pm), New Team Lunacy (Thursdays at 11pm) or Happy Hour (Fridays at 6pm).
  • Free Shows
    Students can see any show at The PIT for FREE during the duration of their class (as long as seats are available)
  • Internships/Work Study Available
    Students have the option of applying for an internship here at the PIT. In exchange, you can take an Improv class for $50!
  • Referrals
    If you refer a new student, you will receive $50 off your next class, or $30 in cash! (Valid on Improv classes only. Not valid for electives or writing classes.)
  • Discounts
    Many of the restaurants and bars in our area offer discounts to PIT students!
Village Voice names Elephant Larry Best Comedy Ensemble
The Village Voice names Elephant Larry best comedy ensemble. Check it out
HERE!
Swords! Interviewed by Improvised New York
Swords! Interviewed by Improvised New York. Check it out
HERE!
Sketchprov 2009 Winner!!
After a week of intense comedy battles, one team has come out on top. A huge congratulations to SWORDS! Not only do they have bragging rights for the next year... but they also pocketed the $1000 cash prize. Big thanks to all who came out and made SketchProv 2009 the biggest and best yet!
Improv-focused rehearsal space (Now open!)

Simple Studios rehearsal space has opened up just down the street from the theater, where everyone is welcome to practice their craft.

Sign-up for the mailing list at SimpleStudiosNYC.com
PIT student hired as writer for SNL!
Congratulations to PIT sketch comedy writing student, Hannibal Buress, for getting hired as a Writer on Saturday Night Live!
IFC.com calls PIT sketch sensation "A non-stop hour of energetic comedy fun!"
Katie Hartman and Leah Rudick, the dynamic chick duo that makes up Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, just got through kicking ass at the Edinburgh Fringe. IFC.com says "Hooray! Funny female sketch comedy!" and says SBJM "offered a vivid, funny, and lively reminder of the joy that is comedy."

Read the full rave review!
PIT Sweethearts The Apple Sisters WIN NY Innovative Theater Awards!
We know you miss 'em since they moved to LA, and NYC is still showing the Apple Sisters some love. The three lovely ladies just won the NYIT Award (New York Innovative Theater Awards) for Outstanding Original Music! They were also nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical. The awards advocate for Off-Off-Broadway, recognizing the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. Check out all the winners!
Harvard Sailing Team called "Tightly written...Excellent!" by IFC.com

More praise is rolling in for hit sketch group Harvard Sailing Team. This time it's IFC.com calling them "Great!" "Tightly-written, directed and performed... a professional production of excellent, well-rounded work." Check out the review and buy tickets to the show!
A powerful new documentary "The End of Poverty?" opens in NYC theatres on 11/13
PIT student Matt Stillman has a powerful new documentary opening this weekend in NYC. Watch the trailer for "The End of Poverty?"HERE<
Ali interviewed about his improv journey at Improvisation News

IMPROVISATION NEWS: So what's the origin of the PIT name?

ALI: When we were coming up with a name, I wanted to have improv in the title and I wanted to have theater in the title. I went to school at UNC – Chapel Hill and they had a place called "The Pit” where people would gather to read something called the Daily Tarheel and they would say that everybody in a 24-hour period would walk through, “The Pit”...

Read more:
The Man Behind the Curtain (part 1)
Learn About
PIT Founder
Ali Reza Farahnakian

See his YouTube page, Interview about the PIT with Scene Interactive, and Online Reel & Resume

Find out how to bring PIT Founder and Owner Ali Reza Farahnakian to your town to teach Improv Workshops, Sketch/SNL Writing Workshops, Corporate Team Building Workshops, or to Perform with your Improv group

Copyright 2009 The Peoples Improv Theater.